FICO - Your Credit Score
Because our world is so computer-driven, it's probably not that surprising that your ability to repay virtually any loan comes down to one number.
This score is created by credit reporting agencies. These agencies use the payment history from all of your loans: mortgages, car/motorcycle loans, credit cards, etcetera.
Each of the three credit agencies has its own formula for building your credit score. Fair Isaac and Cooriginally developed this score. .
Experian uses this model and calls its score FICO. Equifax's model, based on FICO, is called BEACON, while TransUnion, which also uses a slightly modified FICO, calls its score EMPIRICA. While each of the models considers a range of data available in your credit report, all of the agencies use the following to calculate your score:
- Your Credit History - How many years have you had credit?
- Late Payments - Do you have any payments later than 30 days?
- Balances on your Credit Cards - How many accounts? How much do you owe on your accounts?
- Requests for Credit - How many times have lenders pulled your credit for the purpose of giving you a loan?
These factors are assigned weights based on the formula being used. The results are added up and distilled into a single number. Credit scores range from 300 to 800. Higher is better. Most home buyers likely find their scores above 620.
FICO makes a difference in interest rates
Did you know? Credit scores are used for more than just determining whether or not you qualify for a mortgage. Higher scores indicate you are a better credit risk, and thus may qualify for a better mortgage rate.
Can I improve my FICO score?
Is it possible to improve your FICO score? Despite what you hear from "credit repair" companies, the FICO score is calculated from your lifetime credit history, so it's not possible to raise it significantly in the short term. You must remove any incorrect reporting from your credit report, which is the only "quick fix" for credit problems.
Getting your FICO score
Before you can improve your credit score, you have to obtain your score and make sure that the reports from each agency are correct. Fair Isaac, the corporation that invented the original FICO score, sells credit scores on its website: myFICO.com. It's inexpensive to quickly get your FICO from all three agencies, along with your credit report. They also provide helpful information and online tools that can help you analyze what actions might have the greatest impact on your FICO score.
You can get a free credit report once per year from the three major agencies by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You won't get a free credit score from AnnualCreditReport.com, but getting it is fast and very inexpensive.
Now that you have all the facts, you will be a more informed consumer and you'll be better positioned to get the right mortgage for you.
Want to know more about your FICO score? Call us: (203) 729-6681.